Claim for failure to diagnose and treat chronic periodontitis

Our clinical negligence team achieved a settlement for a client who developed an aggressive form of gum disease, chronic periodontitis, which went untreated by her private dentist for over a decade. Our client reported progressive bleeding to her gums and tooth mobility on her successive visits to her dentist. However, he failed to examine her properly and record his clinical findings in an appropriate way so as to monitor the deterioration of her condition. She was not advised of her condition or referred to an appropriate specialist when this became mandatory.

As a result of the alleged failings by her dentist, our client has lost four of her teeth which were extracted due to mobility and pain and has been advised that eight further teeth are likely to be lost within the next 10 years. She has significant bone loss in her jaw and experiences constant jaw pain. She will require a surgical procedure to increase the amount of viable bone in the upper jaw before she is fitted with tooth implants.

Although the defendant did not admit liability at the outset of the case, an early offer to settle was put forward. As a result of negotiations, we managed to increase the offer and obtain a larger settlement for our client.

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